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Albania's proud WBF world
middleweight champion Kreshnik
Qato shocked everyone in
attendance on Friday (Dec. 3) in
Prague, the "Golden City" of the
Czech Republic, with an almost
passive performance which cost
him his title against unheralded
Tanzanian challenger Karama
Nyilawila.
Defending his WBF crown for the
fourth time, Qato got off to his
usual slow start, but this time,
as round after round passed by,
never really got untracked. In
contrast, his African challenger
simply seemed to want it more
and continuously outworked him.
While Nyilawila could not match
Qato in terms of skill, his
desire alone allowed him to
always show more activity.
In the end, Karama was closer to
scoring a knockdown than "The
Eagle" Qato, who so desperately
needed it. After 12 rounds, all
three judges went for the new
World Boxing Federation champion
by scores of 116:112, 117:111
and 118:110.
One of the judges was former
FIFA football referee Bernd
Heynemann of Germany, who scored
his first world boxing
championship fight.
The next night (Dec. 4), in
Reutlingen, Germany, hometown
hero Bjoern Blaschke celebrated
winning the vacant WBF
International cruiserweight
title, but was made to battle
all the way by Jonathan Pasi.
After 10 hotly contested rounds,
the split decision went
Blaschke's way by scores of
100:93, 99:94 against a 98:97
for Pasi.
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